Registration is now open for MAFP's 76th Annual Scientific Assembly, scheduled for July 20-23, 2025, at Sandestin Resort in Destin, Florida! We expect more than 140 family physicians to attend and we hope you are one of them! Registration links are below.

As you know, our theme is based on an interest of our current President and Dr. Vanderloo is a fan of LEGOs. The theme for this year’s meeting is "Stronger Together: The Building Blocks of Family Medicine."

CME Topics Include:

• New Drug Update Part One — C. Wayne Weart, PharmD, BCPS, GASHP, FAPha
• New Drug Update Part Two — C. Wayne Weart, PharmD, BCPS, GASHP, FAPha
• Hyperlipidemia — Bruce A. Warden, PharmaD, BCPS, CLS, FNLA, FASPC
• ADHD in Adults: Screening & Diagnosing — John Norton, MD
• Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus — James R. Gavin III, MD, PhD
• Navigating Gastrointestinal Challenges: Insight into GERD and H. pylori Managment — Jonathan Firnhaber, MD, MAEd, MBA
• Bridging Community: Collaborative Efforts in Early Detection and Intervention for Alzheimer's Disease
• Rethinking Uncomplicated UTIs: A Comprehensive Review of Diagnosis, Management, and Novel and Emerging Treatment Options
• Lifestyle Medicine Overview: The What and The Why
• RSV Primary Care at the Center of RSV Prevention: Community-Focused Strategies to Foster Trust and Vaccine Acceptance
• Obesity in Primary Care — Donna H. Ryan, MD, FTOS
• The Wake-Up Workshop Initiative: Your Practical, Comprehensive Guide to Obstructive Sleep Apnea
• HIV Update
• KSA on Diabetes

Social Events Include:

• Yoga
• MAFP's Family Fun Night Block Party
• Sunrise Devotionals
• Golf Tournament
• Family Crab Hunt
• Loot and Scoot in Exhibit Hall
• Spouse and Kids Bingo
• Raffle Items
• Split the Pot Fundraiser
• 80 Exhibitors

Speaker Spotlight:

Lifestyle Medicine with Dr. Brenda Rea

How can family physicians best impact the lives of their patients outside the clinic?

Lifestyle medicine is a medical specialty that uses lifestyle change as a primary modality to treat chronic conditions. Lifestyle medicine applies the medical, behavioral, environmental, and motivational principles to prevent, treat, and reverse chronic conditions

We are excited to have join us during the summer meeting Dr. Brenda Rea to share with attendees how to intentionally integrate the pillars of lifestyle medicine to optimize healthy behavior choices as an effective strategy to support patients and communities.

Dr. Rea is the Program Director of the Loma Linda University Health Education Consortium (LLUHEC) Family and Preventive Medicine Residency Program and Lifestyle Medicine Fellowship. She completed her educational pursuits as well as Family and Preventive Medicine Residency at Loma Linda University. She has consistently pursued professional training and experiences to develop knowledge, skills and abilities in relation to lifestyle medicine. Dr. Rea is a founding member of American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM) and currently serves as Co-Chair of the ACLM Education Committee. In addition, she serves on the American Board of Lifestyle Medicine (ABLM) and is a Trustee for the Ardmore Institute of Health. Lastly, Dr. Rea has a wealth of experience mentoring students and residents in many areas of Lifestyle Medicine and is passionate about training a new generation of physicians to use lifestyle medicine to treat the root causes of disease.

Read about AAFP’s pilot program and resources.  

We are proud to welcome Blake Butler as our new Public Awareness Director. He previously served as the Membership Director for the Mississippi Hospitality and Restaurant Association, and he brings great ideas and energy. Prior to that, Blake has over 12 years of experience in the hospitality industry where he managed and worked on the opening teams of several hotels throughout Mississippi. We are excited to have his knowledge when working with venues for our events.



He is very active in his community. Most recently, he was awarded the MVP title from the American Cancer Society Fundraiser, Best Dressed Jackson, for which he raised over $15,000. Blake is also a Goodwill Industries of Mississippi Ambassador and served on the Jackson Symphony League Gala committee for 2024 and 2025.

Blake can be contacted at publicawareness@msafp.org.

Six MAFP members represented the state in Kansas City April 23-26 at the AAFP National Conference of Constituency Leaders (NCCL) and Annual Chapter Leaders Forum (ACLF). MAFP President John Vanderloo, MD, FAAFP, of Madison and MAFP Foundation & Workforce Director Beth Wilson also attended the Leadership Conference.

Members of the NCCL delegation included:

• Kristi Alvarez, MD of Oxford - Representing Women Physicians
• Daniel Hogue, MD, FAAFP of Southaven - Representing LGBTQ and Allies
• Chloe Kilman, MD, FAAFP of Jackson - Representing New Physicians (Up to 7 Years Out of Residency)
• Anuj Marya, MD, FAAFP of Jackson - Representing IMG Graduates
• Chad Ross, MD of Southaven - Representing Minorities

The group attended a welcome reception Thursday night with leadership and caucus sessions Thursday, Friday, and Saturday with family physicians from around the country.

As a first time attendee, Dr. Chloe Kilman shared about the conference. “I loved meeting other fam med docs from other places and sharing our experiences. It was also cool to see how the delegates enact change from the ground up- I had no idea how that worked before. I thought it was a very valuable experience.”

Dr. Kristi Alvarez spoke on her experience at NCCL: "Prior to this conference I had no idea the work that was put into place for change to take place! This was an amazing opportunity to learn, absorb, and work together to write resolutions from the heart that can make a difference in our lives and our patients lives!"

Pictured here: Drs. Chad Ross, John Vanderloo, Kristi Alvares, Chloe Kilman, Daniel Hogue, and Anuj Marya.

Mississippi was recognized at NCCL with awards for Full Delegation and 2nd Highest New Physician Retention for Medium Chapter.

Our delegation was pleased to have time to visit with Mississippi's own AAFP Board Member Dr. Brent Smith and AAFP President Dr. Jen Brull.

Our delegation enjoyed networking at dinner during conference.

Dr. Vanderloo and Dr. Marya discuss what they've learned at NCCL.

For the sixth year running, MAFP Foundation is proud to offer our Split the Pot Fundraiser. It is simple: participants purchase tickets and the winner takes away half of the total money raised. Last year we gave away $3,700 to one lucky winner. Tickets are available for $100 each and you do not have to be present to win.

The Degree of Fellow recognizes American Academy of Family Physicians members who have distinguished themselves among their colleagues, as well as in their communities, by their service to family medicine, by their advancement of health care to the American people, and by their professional development through medical education and research. Fellows to the AAFP are recognized as champions of family medicine. They are the physicians who make family medicine the premier specialty in service to their community and profession. From a personal perspective, being a Fellow signifies not only ‘tenure’ but one’s additional work in your community, within organized medicine, within teaching, and a greater commitment to continuing professional development and/or research.

Have you met the requirements and applied to be a Fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians? Have you not yet been formally recognized by your peers as a Fellow? If yes, we encourage you to attend our Annual Meeting to take part in the Fellow Convocation Ceremony during the MAFP Membership Meeting on July 22.

If you would like to participate in the convocation or have questions, please contact Beth Embry at 601.853.3302 or by email at beth@msafp.org.

Interested in becoming a Fellow, but unsure if you've met all the requirements? Visit this link for more information.

Is there a family medicine issue that concerns you? Do you have a colleague who needs recognition? Consider writing a resolution!

All Mississippi Academy of Family Physicians members are invited to write and submit resolutions for consideration at the MAFP Business Meeting held on the Tuesday during the MAFP Annual Scientific Assembly. Submissions are due June 15 each year.

Writing and presenting resolutions is a great opportunity to direct MAFP policy and address issues of interest or concern to family physicians and family medicine. Resolutions can also honor outstanding individual achievement or memorialize deceased family physician leaders.

It's time to nominate a fellow family physician for the MAFP's annual awards, including Family Physician of the Year, Humanitarian Award, Military Award, New Physician of the Year, and the Patterson Award. To nominate a member, please review the criteria for each award and complete the nomination form. The deadline for nominations is June 1 each year. Online Nominating Form - (only takes 2 minutes).

The Mississippi Academy of Family Physicians Foundation is pleased to announce that Alice Biglane of Northpoint Christian School has been selected as the recipient of a $1,000 college scholarship in memory of David G. Hall, M.D.

Biglane is graduating from Northpoint Christian School this month and will attend University of Mississippi this fall where she plans to major in Exercise Science.

This scholarship is open to all Mississippi seniors who possess an aptitude in the sciences and show an interest in pursuing a career in the field of medicine. To qualify for the scholarship, the student must write an essay describing the impact of a Family Physician in his or her life and/or the role of the Family Physician in the community.

Biglane wrote her winning essay about Dr. Robert Skinner, a family physician at Family Medical Clinic of North Mississippi in Southaven, MS. According to Biglane, Dr. Skinner is very involved in the Southaven community and is one of the many shining examples of how family physicians strengthen and better their local community.



“A Family Physician’s love for humanity and their bedside manner is what sets them apart from other professions, and why I am interested in pursuing family practice as my degree and my life’s work. Dr. Skinner has been a shining example of all that is good in the profession, and something I have watched and looked up to for the last thirteen years.”